DECATUR - Macon County Eye Center has a new and improved neighbor.Advanced Eye Surgery and Laser Center LLC recently has opened directly behind Macon County Eye Center as a new facility that performs outpatient eye procedures, including advanced cataract surgery, eyelid surgery, glaucoma surgery and laser treatments, Lasik corrective vision surgery and more.The mission of building the surgery center was to provide patients with a more convenient and economical alternative for eye surgeries, said Dr. Sushant Sinha, physician and medical director of both centers."We realized one inconvenience for our elderly patients, which is the majority of our patients, was going to the hospital, getting very confused and walking across a big parking lot," Sinha said. "We want to provide the utmost care and create a friendly, convenient and reliable facility."Previously, patients had to go to Decatur Memorial Hospital or Central Illinois Surgery Center for cataract surgery, said Dawn Followell, clinic administrator of Macon County Eye Center.

Emergent Group Inc. Reports Record Second Quarter Sales and EPS of $0.07

SUN VALLEY, Calif., Aug. 14, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Emergent Group Inc. (OTC BB:EMGP.OB - News), a leading provider of mobile medical lasers and surgical equipment, announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2007. Revenues for the quarter increased 8% to a record $4,331,488 as compared to revenues of $3,993,211 for the same period in 2006. Net income decreased to $361,204 or $0.07 per basic share for the second quarter as compared to net income of $549,807 or $0.10 per basic share for the same period in 2006.

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New treatments close swollen veins without pain

Ed Garabedian of Mount Airy was 20 years old when he first noticed the unsightly bulges on his legs.

More of these gnarled bumps gradually appeared throughout the years until they covered most of his legs, with large clusters bulging behind his knees."Forget the cosmetic part - they look ugly, but I didn't really care much about it," said Garabedian, now 48.What bothered him, he said, was the swelling and aching that accompanied them.The increasing pain eventually led him to seek treatment for what are known as varicose veins, a problem that affects 25 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.They develop from leaky valves in the veins, which prevents the blood from flowing back up to the heart, said Dr. Garth Rosenberg, a vascular surgeon in Frederick who has treated Garabedian for four years.The blood then flows backwards and pools inside the vein, causing it to become enlarged, twisted and often painful - in some cases it can lead to skin ulcers, Rosenberg said.Varicose veins occur most frequently in the legs, because the blood has to fight gravity, he said.

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Eds: Adds where researcher worked; that Hawthorne description deleted from original magazine article.

The left side of Lincoln's face was much smaller than the right, an aberration called cranial facial microsomia. The defect joins a long list of ailments -- including smallpox, heart illness and depression -- that modern doctors have diagnosed in Lincoln.

In Tomorrow's Paper

Prostate surgery at the Royal Alexandra Hospital is about to get a lot more accurate, thanks to a large white octopus-looking robot, which is the first of its kind in Western Canada.

At a total cost of $2.5 million, the da Vinci S is the most technically advanced surgical robot on the market today.

Although the robot could be used for other surgeries, this device is specifically intended for removing malignant prostate glands.

Urologist Mike Hobart has been fiddling with the robot since it arrived a week ago and is excited about trying the device out on a patient.

He and another doctor will take formal training in Ohio at the end of August. .